Physical fitness is a growing popular trend for the general public. Doing "situps" is one of the best forms of physical fitness, involving the seldom used muscles in the stomach and abdominal areas of the body. Situps are conventionally performed lying on your back on a relatively flat surface, generally horizontal, where the buttocks of the body remains against the surface and the head and upper torso part of the body are lifted from being against the surface to being at a sharp angle relative to the surface and the lower part of the body. Although situps can be performed without having the feet held firmly against the surface, if the feet are restrained, the situps can be performed at a more rapid pace to consume less time and further can also be performed with weights held by the exerciser in the vicinity of the head to require greater effort to overcome the greater resistance against the upward movement of the torso. Repetitions are needed to achieve the utmost benefit; and regularity of exercise is needed to keep the muscles toned.
One standard device for maintaining the exerciser's feet snugged against the floor is in the form of a rigid generally padded bar horizontally spaced above the surface that allows the feet and/or ankles of the user to be put under the bar.
Several devices of this type have been proposed for use with a housing door for holding the exerciser's feet down, but they nonetheless have several significant drawbacks. For example, the devices have rigid brackets or the like which are designed to be secured relative to the underside of the door, and the bar then is supported from the brackets spaced slightly from the door and above the supporting surface with sufficient clearance to allow the exerciser to position the feet and/or the ankles under the bar. However, because of the rigidness of the securement means, there is a great likelihood of damaging the door in securing the device onto the door or in removing the device from the door or during the exercising itself due to the strain imposed on the door. Another major drawback of this type of device is that it is big and heavy, lacking portability for being packed in a person's luggage, should a person desire to use the device on a trip.
Several other exercise devices have been proposed which are designed to be located and secured under the door, the devices being formed basically of a flexible but nonelastic strap configuration. However, major drawbacks exist with each such known device and include the difficulty of securing it relative to the door or removing it from the door and the resultant possible damage the device can cause to the door, and/or the lack of easy adjustment with respect to the size of the exerciser or the type of exercise to be performed, or to the manner of securing the device or releasing it from the exerciser.